In Japan, Autumn is said the season of sports, arts, books. Simply it is the best season to do everthing because of its mild weather. But everybody will agree Autumn is the best season for food most of all. (We said Spring is the beste season for sleeping.) Recently because of the development of cultivation technique or importing, we can eat anything all the year over. But it deos not mean we don't have season special anymore. I heard seasonal food has rich in nourishment, works for body, and body also need it. I have to thank revolving seasons. I will introduce the foods and meals we eat in only autumn, the most delicious in auturm, most we want to eat in Autumn. Yes this is Autumn Special.
Japanese Chestnut rice, in Japanese we say Kurigohan. Here is the recipe. Please try once.
I can tell you Japanese LOVE chestnut. Toraya release thier season special, of course in autumn it is beautiful chestnut one. Not only wagashi, pastry shop has chestnut cakes in autumn, here is the blog of chestnut lover.
[Chestnut works for]
Chestnut is rich in amylum, B1, VitaminC. And the tannin of silverskin have gotten attention recently because it has anticancerous. And also cheshnut has rich fiber and works for blood circulation. So if you wonder to choose cake, pick up the one including chestnut one?
[Chestnut meals]
Most Japanese think the representative Autumn meal is kuri gohan
Braised Chestnut Chicken
Mashed sweet potato with chesnuts
This site has huge chetnut menu.
Kuri Manjyu, Marron Chantilly, cake, cake,Marron Glaces, chestnut sweet make me melt down. Roast chestnut is popular in the world right? I have found the site to compare roasted chestnuts in the world. He says taste is different so far. Asian chetnus are moist and others are dry. The Left one is Chinese, then France, Spain, Italy, then Japanese, Japanese.
Matsutake/Mushroom
Althought we can eat mushroom always, basically they are auturmn food. Actually in autumn
we can find and get mushroom in the mountain side ( even in Tokyo). Anyway Matsutake is special mushroom for Japanese. I heard only Japan take this such expensive food in th world. This Online shop sell Matsutake 30,000-210,000yen. Matsutake from Chiana is much cheaper but I must tell flavore is not rich like Japanese one.
[Mushroom works for]
Mushroom has rich fiber and work for very well. And its Vitamin B2, kalium down blood pressure. Most of all, mushroom are non-calories, we can take it enough when we have to have a diet.
[Mushroom meals]
The best way to eat Matsutake is grill it with a little soy sauce. We say "Kaori Matsutake, Aji Shimeji", this means flavor is Matsutake, but taste is Shimeji Mashroom (much cheaper one) is better.
Japanese Mushroom Recipe Photo(JP)
Matutake gohan(rice cooked with expensive mushroom.)
kinoko gohan(rice cooked wtih mashroom)
Mixed Grill In Foil
Mushroom Relish
Deep Fried Tofu with Mushroom Sauce
Japanese Stuffed Mushrooms
Sweet Potato
When autumn has come, it means Ishiyaki-imo season has come too. Ishiyaki-imo is a sweet potato baked within hot stones. Selling from a cart equipped with such an oven, the vendor calls out "ishiyaki-imo" to attract customers. This cart dose not stop, drive slowly in downtown. So that people do not go to get it, just wait the cart come near home in cold winter.
We call this sweet potato "Satsumatimo". Satsuma means old name of Kagoshima prefecture in Japan. This potato is very natural sweet and mouth taste is moist.
[Sweet potato works for]
Sweet potato has very rich vitaminC. And this has twice Vitamin E than brown rice. Of course like other potato, you can take good enough fiber from this. And recently the report from U.S says this is effective for anti- lung cancer. has the details.
[Sweet potato meals]
At home we baked potatos with home oven, it will be best (close to stone baking way). But I heard rice cooker baked potato so delicious. Choose middle size of 2 potetos, and add a little water, 30ml or so. Yes such a little water is okay. And set the rice cooker as usual. That is all. AT LEAST Japanese rice cooker cook it very well.
Tempra
Daigakuimo (Sugared Sweet Potato)
Imogohan（cooked rice with sweet potat)
And You can add curry, miso soup.
So to down the calories of pancake or hotcakes, you can add light boiled sweet potatos to them. Volume up, and take Vitamin C and E, fiber. This is nice for children.?!
This site has many sweet potato recipes.
Saury
Yes, Saury!! This is the another big symbol of Autumn. Actually in chinese character, we write Saury as "Autumn Japanese sword fish". 秋刀魚 I introduce Autumn special beer in my diary, in that Commercial he sauted Saury outside. Saury was said a fish of common folk in old days, we have this Rakugo(traditonal comedy story telling).
"One day Tonosama went outside, and accidently he was treated Saury aroudn Meguro area. Since Tonosama have never eaten such cheap fish before. He was shocked at its delicious taste. So after that Tonosama acted like a baby " I want Saury of Meguro!!" always. However Meguro is not close to the sea, and it is not special place for Saury too. Just Saury in Autumn made Tonosama misunderstood as if it is very special because it is such delicios". Such kind of story. They have Meguro Sanma Festival (pdf)everyyear.
[What Saury works for]
When we say Saury, it is protein. Its quality is better than beef or Cheeze. Vitamin A and B2 works to recover the body after summer. Of course EPA and DHA is good too.
[Saury meals]
The best way is SALT-BROILED.
Braised Saury
Eggplant
We have mean proberb. "Dont give eggplant to son's wife." Sound strange, but in Japan, oldest son and his wife used to live with parents. So they had to have comflictin between mom and wife.... By the way this means Eggplant in Autumn is such delicious. Since Its vivid purple does not dissappear when we make it into Tsukemono. This is beautful for our eyes and table.
[What work for]
In China, they said eggplan down the heat of body and make blood flew smooth. So they use to cure stomach ache.
[Eggplant means]
Sauteed eggplant and green pepper with soybean paste as best for eggplant recipe. A little bit hot and sweet Miso taste is really matchs to rice.
Yakinasu(Japanese Grilled Eggplant)
Broiled Eggplant
Simmered eggplant
Tempura
Pickled eggplant
Other Autumn food
[Kaki!]
I love this fruit, Kaki is rich in VitaminC, you can take all vitaminC for one day with a little big size of Kaki. Not only for such VItamin or Kalium, do you know this is very good for Hung Over?? But don't forget basically before drinking, you should eat. it is much effective. I love Kaki very much. Other fruit we can see all over year, but Kaki keeps its season still now.
[Takikomi Gohan. Rice cooked with...!]
takikomi--rece with autumn vegetables, mushroom is autumn special too. Ther are many variation, but only a lot of mashroom is nice. A browned rice is made because of soy sauce soup. That part is especially delicious!!!
Icecream and snacks have Autumn special like beer.
For example, chestnut caramel corn, Koeda chocoalate,takeno kono sato chocolate etc etc. I must gain in autumn and winter.
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